Heretofore, as micro-switching elements, proposed are those provided with a first electrode including an ionic conductor and a second electrode composed of an electric conductor (see Patent Document 1 (JP-A 2002-76325 (paragraphs [0011] to [0019]), Patent Document 2 (JP-A 2002-141494 (paragraphs [0030] to [0089]), Patent Document 3 (JP-A 2002-334989 (paragraphs [0017] to [0059]), Patent Document 4 (JP-A 2003-094227)). For example, Patent Reference 1 discloses a switching element in which the metal ion in the first electrode is deposited from the surface of the first electrode toward the second electrode by the tunneling current between the first electrode and the second electrode generated through voltage application between the electrodes whereby the electrodes are physically and electrically connected to each other by the deposited metal, and in which the physical connection and the electric connection can be cut off by reversed voltage application.
In Patent Documents 2, 3 and 4, proposed is fabrication of operational circuits, logic circuits and memory devices through electric and reversible control of the resistance between the electrodes by arranging a plurality of the above-mentioned switching elements.